Small business owners are getting a little more optimistic about how their companies will do after the election, according to a survey released Tuesday by the National Federation of Independent Business.

Supporters of President Obama's health care reform laws got a major boost when a key opponent lost her business. Mary Brown, whose whose standing to sue is integral to the largest lawsuit against Obama's health care reforms, may be forced to abandon her legal challenge.

On Tuesday, Starbucks launched "Create Jobs for USA," a program to raise loan funds for small businesses. We talked to CEO Howard Schultz about his concerns about gridlock in Washington, unemployment, the need for a sense of solidarity, and the role of corporate leaders in getting America out of this downturn.

Not unlike bears emerging from hibernation after a long winter, the nation's small businesses are slowly becoming more optimistic in the prospects for the U.S. economy as the Great Recession winds down. Still, entrepreneurs aren't yet ready to hire more workers or boost spending on new projects, according to a survey released Tuesday.

Many of the jobs that have been lost in the recession are unlikely to come back. Those that do are more likely to be freelance, temporary or contract positions rather than permanent jobs with benefits. Technology, off-shoring and the disappearance of bubble-era jobs are all to blame.